December 29, 2012

Winter Hair Survival 101

I'm back ladies and gents,

                   It has been a crazy last couple of weeks! Between work, events, dinner and family life has been pretty cray cray. Let me fill you in on a few life details before we get started on our winter hair survival. First off, Work...let me tell you, when I chose retail as my "career" I obviously wasn't thinking about how xmas time would be...Holy moly! I think it was the craziest Ive seen it. One Sunday my self and co-worker couldn't get away from the cash register for two minutes. It was 5 hours straight of pure chaos! On top of a hectic work schedule, almost ever weekend i have had an invite somewhere (Not bragging, just saying because it never happens). I even had to turn a few invites down just because I need rest. I have work the last 5 Saturdays in a row so having today off is a treat. I thought I would take advantage and write a blog post since my post have been few in the last little while. So let's jump right into it...

WINTER HAIR SURVIVAL!!!!!! (read with a loud amplified voice)

Here are a few tips to keep your hair looking gorgeous through out the winter months.

  1. Deep moisturize 1-2 times a week. This is my first tip because it's the most important. I always deep moisturize whether it's summer or winter because I am not very good to my hair. Not only is it all bleached underneath but there is always layers upon layers of hair color. Then there is heat styling. I do not blow dry my hair if I can help it but I am attached to my flat iron and curling tools. So, this is a crucial step for me. Doing so in the winter will help keep the elasticity in your hair and give it shine. The trick to deep moisturising is patience. You want your deep conditioner to really penetrate into the follicle. I leave my mask on for around 5-7 minutes, but that is the minimum. You can also leave it on for 20- 1hour. The longer the better!
  2. Brush with a paddle brush or boar bristle brush. Making sure your hair is brushed it a good idea too. With the harsh winds in the winter time, cold hair dries out the hair causing more breakage. If you keep your hair tangle free, it's means let breakage when attempting to detangle hair. Alot of people opt for a boar bristle brush. Boar brushes usually sport softer, more dense bristles. These help polish the hair and have a less damaging effect. I do not recommend boar bristle brushes for people with fine hair, it will cause static electricity...buzzzzzzz!
  3. Comb wet hair with a wide tooth comb. Alot of people like to brush through wet hair with a paddle brush. I do not recommend this because this causes more tangles and will break the hair. Using a wide tooth comb lets you gradually comb through the hair. If the hair is conditioned properly, this should be done with ease. If you must use a brush to detangle after a shower, I would opt for a small vent brush. These are brushed used for blow drying hair, so the bristles are more spaced out, having the same effect as a wide tooth comb.
  4. Condition every time you wash. Alot of people like to skip the conditioner in the shower due to overly productive oil glands, etc. But I would still opt for conditioner during the winter months. I never condition my roots, but I always condition my ends. These take the most beating and I like to keep them well moisturized.
  5. Wear a hat. Wearing a hat with protect your hair from all the harsh elements that can damage your hair further. There are so many cute styles out there...why not wear a hat?
  6. Wear your hair up at night. It like to loosely tie my hair in a bun when I hit the sack at night. This helps keep my long locks tangle free and prevents spit ends.
  7. Use a silk pillow case. I like to use a silk pillow case because it keeps my hair from splitting. I never used a silk pillow case before and now that I have for about 2 years now, I'm hooked. When I need to wash it and put on another pillow case, I notice the different right away. A silk pillow case allows the hair to glide across the case and doesn't tug or pull at the hair. Using a silk pillow case is also good for you skin because it doesn't tug or pull at the skin which can cause wrinkles to develop faster.
So that's it! Follow these tips for some luscious locks this winter.

A side note:
A couple of my friends have a band and they hosted an event last night which I attended. Here are two pics from the event.


 
 
 
So that's it. Had a blast and they did an amazing job. Have a fantabulous weekend and see u all soon!
 


December 12, 2012

Good things come to those who wait

Hello my pretties!

              I hope everyone is having an awesome week. I will be honest and say my week so far has been a bustito! My famjam was visiting last weekend and we are just recouping from that. I have also been super tired and from all my late nights watching all my mid-season finales...ugh! Anyways, before I forget, just wanted all of you peeps to know that my brother and his wife just announced that the are expecting their third child. How flipping exciting it that? I'm going to be an Aunt for the 6th time! Wow! That makes me sound old...for the record, My oldest three siblings are between 9 and 17 years older than me. I'm super excited! It's going to be a boy which, not going to lie, kinda bummed me out! I want more girls to glam out! Ah well, I will love the little monster just the same. :) Anyways, I just wanted to give you a heads up on some of the things i've got in store for the blog and Youtube channel. Here are some great topics to watch for:

  • Manicure essencials
  • Favorite Mascaras
  • Top 5 Nail Polishes
  • Winter hair survival guide
  • Favorite skin care products
Those are just a few things to come in the next little while. I am also proud to announce that I will be recording my first annual Nail Polish awards! What's my favorite top coat? Base Coat? Winter color? Summer color? Also, longest lasting polish, fastest chipping polish and favorite collection of 2012. So keep tabs on my Youtube channel for that, better yet, Subscribe so you don't miss a beat! I have been cutting back on my blogging and vlogging in hopes that I can actually get things done ha ha! But stay tuned for videos or blog posts atleast once a week.

Goodnight my loves!

December 05, 2012

Flawless Foundation tips

Hello my Pretties,

            How are all my lovelies doing this evening? I hope your all having a fabulous week so far. I know I am still stuck in Saturday and the week can be quite the drudge when your mind is far behind in the weekend. All your thinking about is partying, relaxing and not working. Anyways, enough with the jibber jabber, let's get to tonight post. Tonight we are going to discuss tips on how you can get a flawless foundation look. I suffer with acne and I need an effective way to cover those zits, scars and pores. If you suffer from this type of skin or you are just willing to get some foundation tips, then this post if for you. I'm going to also tell you what products I use to get these result. This is just what I use, you may know of something that works better for your skin type, so keep that in mind.

Step 1 to flawless foundation is the prep! Some people don't think they need to prep their skin before applying foundation, but in all honestly, speaking as someone who use to skip this step, it is more important than you think. Clean, glowing and moisturized skin will give a seamless, smooth canvas to work on. I usually start by using a witch hazel astringent to tone the skin. This also removes surface oils that will get trapped an cause pimples. Then, I apply a facial serum to help minimize the appearance of scars and to control oils throughout the day. Finally, apply a moisturizer. This will prevent the skin from flaking and help with a smoother application of foundation. And that is it for the prep!

Here are the items I use to prep:
-Thayers Peach Witch Hazel
-Beyond Belief Facial Serum
-Clean And Clear Moisturizer

Step 2 is to prime the skin. Alot of people like to skip the primer as well. Primer fills in fine lines and wrinkles and pores. This gives a smooth appearance to the skin and also helps your makeup to stay in place longer. Trust me, I notice a huge difference when I forget to apply my primer.

Here are some primers I use:
-Smashbox primer
-Hard Candy Skin Perfecting Primer

Step 3 is to apply your foundation. I use a Sephora Pro Buffing Brush #62 to apply my foundation but you can use your hands or a makeup sponge to apply it too. I start with my forehead and work my way down my face. Apply it lightly, you can use concealer later where you need it. Make sure to blend the edges and don't forget your ears (yes your ears, the point of foundation is to even out your skin tone and you want your ears to match the rest of your face). Moving on...

I use Covergirl Clean Makeup for oily skin

Step 4 is to conceal. You only want to use concealer where you need it!!! I can't reiterate that enough, you want your makeup to be like a second skin, not a mask. I use two different concealers, one for bigger and harder to cover blemishes and the other for smaller blemishes and under eye circles. If you have heavy circles under eyes you can use a yellow tinted concealer and if you suffer from redness you can use a green concealer. Word to the wise about green concealer, make sure you blend well! Sometimes when its not blended properly you can see a green tint in certain lighting. Also make sure your skin is well exfoliated because the concealer can get stuck in dead skin making it hard to blend. I also use my #62 brush to buff in my concealer but you can also use your fingers or a sponge to apply.

Here are some concealers I use:
-Vichy DermaBlend Foundation Stick (Actually a full coverage foundation)
- Essence Cover Stick
- Paladio liquid concealer in mint

Step 5 in to seal your work. Finally your going to want to set your makeup with a powder. Alot of people use a translucent powder t set the makeup because it doesn't add any color to the skin. Some people use a pressed powder as well. Make sure when purchasing your powder that you aren't purchasing a powder foundation. This will only make your foundation appear cakey and thick.

I use Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed powder.

And that is it! I use these techniques everyday and I usually look pretty flawless ha ha! I have some serious acne these days and I have some before and after pix of my foundation to share with you guys. My face has seriously exploded in the last little while so please be kind. My face might freak you for 5 seconds ha ha!


Not Bad right?! Well, that my tips, do you have any foundation tips to share? Please do below!

Thanks for reading guys!